1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a container suited to store and pour wood charcoal.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Conventionally, charcoal briquettes are packaged in paper bags. As is known conventionally, the paper bags are not resistant to moisture (rain) or tearing. They are difficult to clean of accumulated charcoal dust and dirt. In addition, the bag is awkward to transport and store due to its odd shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,447 recognized these problems and proposed a reusable molded plastic container for storage and transportation of materials used with a charcoal dependent cooker. It has a handle at the top and lids that open at either side of the handle to allow charcoal to be poured out. Other compartments are provided on the container to hold items such as utensils, lighter fluid, matches, cooking gloves, hot pads. The charcoal briquettes are chemically treated and formed under pressure to provide a hard outer surface.
Unlike conventional charcoal briquettes, wood charcoal on the other hand is friable. As a result, storing wood charcoal in the same type of paper bags that charcoal briquettes are stored is even more problematic. When the paper bag is exposed to externally applied forces, the wood charcoal inside is much more susceptible to crumbling or being pulverized than is the case with charcoal briquettes. Even pouring the wood charcoal through the mouth of the bag causes jostling of the wood charcoal is a significant manner, i.e., turning the bag nearly 180 degrees to pour out the wood charcoal. Such jostling causes the friable wood charcoal to rub against each other, easily causing crumbling.
The teaching of the plastic container of U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,447, if applied to wood charcoal, would be an improvement over the paper bag since the plastic container would better protect the wood charcoal from externally imposed forces. Nevertheless, the plastic container has an opening at the top, thereby requiring that the container be turned nearly 180xc2x0 to pour out the charcoal. In addition, where the extra compartment space for holding barbeque related items is not needed, such is wasted space. Further, since its pouring opening is stationary (only the lid opens), it is not as compact as it could be for storage purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,408 reveals a pour spout construction for collapsible containers. It relates to the field of shipping containers for transporting bulky cargo such as bulk particulate materials. It recognizes that such containers would benefit by the presence of a large pour spout localized at or near the bottom of the container in a side wall. Spouts that are constructed of light weight stamped sheet metal hingedly connected at an inner end to an edge of an opening in a container wall are unsuitable for use such shipping containers. The reason is that the side walls of the spout enter the enclosed volume of the container when the spout is closed. If such a hinged spout were placed at the lower edge of a side wall of a large loaded container, the particulate material, under pressure of its own weight contacts the surfaces of the spout, creating sufficient friction to effectively prevent the withdrawal of the spout to the opened condition. Therefore, the patent proposes use of collapsible spout made of foldable fibrous material, parts of which are interconnected within an opening in a side wall of the container. When folded, the spout does not project into the interior of the container and, accordingly, does not interfere with the collapsing of the container when empty.
The present invention is a container for transporting and storing wood charcoal. The container is preferably box-shaped, with an opening in a bottom half of the front face. A collapsible spout is connected at the opening and movable between an inward position that closes the opening and an outward position that extends the spout outwardly clearing the opening to permit contents of the container to be poured out through the opening and along the spout. A handle is positioned centrally at the top of the container. Since the spout in the inward position closes the opening, but does not enter the opening, its sidewalls will not cut into any wood charcoal within and further will not be blocked by any wood charcoal adjacent the opening that is inside the container. Since no portion of the spout extends appreciably inwardly, the weight of the wood charcoal will not press against it in such a manner as to prevent the spout from being moved into its outward position. Also, the spout, being collapsible, will not interfere with the folding of the container when empty.